The History of a Crime : The Testimony of an Eye-Witness

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hugo, Victor, 1802-1885

Contributor:

Joyce, T. H.

Locker, Arthur, 1828-1893

Standardized Title:

Histoire d'un crime. English

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The History of a Crime" by Victor Hugo is a historical account written in the mid-19th century. The book details the events surrounding the coup d'état of December 2, 1851, when Louis Bonaparte manipulated a situation to dissolve the National Assembly and suppress political opposition. The narrative is intensely focused on the perspectives of various representatives, highlighting themes of betrayal, the struggle for democracy, and the moral dilemmas faced by those who stood against tyranny. At the start of the work, Hugo offers a gripping account of the atmosphere leading up to the coup, emphasizing the disbelief and eventual shock experienced by the representatives of the republic who were arrested in their homes. Through a series of dialogues and reflections from key characters, including a prominent representative, the unfolding crisis is vividly depicted, as they grapple with the implications of their leader's actions. The tension rises with the early-morning arrests, leaving the remaining representatives to rally and consider their response to defend the republic. Hugo masterfully lays the foundation for a story that reflects both the political upheaval of the time and the larger struggle of civic responsibility versus personal safety. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Etext produced by Stan Goodman, Beth Trapaga and PG Distributed Proofreaders HTML file produced by David Widger

Notes:

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_History_of_a_Crime

Reading ease score: 73.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2003-12-01